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Botanical Drawing at Cornell Begins January 24th

Posted in botanical art, Learning Opportunities on December 16, 2010|

An online class for beginning artists now at Classes Near You > New York!

Cornell University Department of Horticulture
http://hort.cals.cornell.edu/
Two six-week botanical illustration classes are taught online through this department. A course syllabus for each class is available online. Click on the links below for complete details.

Botanical Illustration I: Basic Drawing Techniques
January 24 – March 11, 2011. For beginning artists of all ages. Students will work in pencil and pen-and-ink. Topics include: observing nature, drawing, composition, perspective, shading. Cost: $500. Limit: 20 students. View the syllabus for this course. Register
Botanical Illustration II: Working with Watercolors
Expected June 2011. In this introductory course about color, students are encouraged to continue their discovery of plants. Emphasis will be on simpler subjects such as a single-stem flower, fruit, and vegetables. View syllabus.

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Sketch Your Way Through Spain and Portugal!

Posted in botanical art, Learning Opportunities, Sketching & Journaling on December 13, 2010|

New travel opportunity at Classes Near You > California:

Kathy Dunham Studios
www.kathydunham.com
Kathy is an award-winning artist and the author of Artist’s Projects You Can Paint: 10 Floral Watercolors published by International Artist Publishing. She leads workshops in drawing, watercolor, plein air painting, and sketching for both nature journals and travel journals. Kathy teaches weekly in the Palm Springs area and leads workshops throughout southern California, the desert Southwest, France, Italy, Spain, and Portugal. Stop by Kathy’s blog to learn more about this popular instructor.

Plein Air Watercolor – February 5, 2011; 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
Learn how to compose a painting outdoors and learn about the intricacies of painting with watercolor outside. Morning lecture followed by time to paint. Students will receive individual attention. Complete details available at The Living Desert. Cost: $68 member / $88 non-member
Beginning & Intermediate Watercolor – La Quinta Senior Center. Information: 760-564-0096. Thursdays (9:00 AM – 12:00 PM)
Sketching and Drawing – La Quinta Senior Center.
Information: 760-564-0096. Wednesdays (9:00 AM – 12:00 PM)
Creative Photography – La Quinta Senior Center.
Information: 760-564-0096. Wednesdays (1:00 PM – 2:30 PM)
Dynamic Floral Watercolors – August 8 – 12, 2011. Art in the Mountains. Bend, Oregon. Unleash your potential as you learn about highlights, shadows, and how colors interact. Learn how to create energetic watercolor paintings. Beginning to advanced painters. Complete details and class schedule can be viewed here. Cost: $595
Spain & Portugal in Depth – October 6 – 20, 2011. A painting and sketching workshop for all levels of artists. Improve your artistic and photographic skills on your 15-day journey through Spain and Portugal. Grand Circle Tours. Download color brochure

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Illustrator for National Park Service Celebrates Desert Flora

Posted in botanical art, general botany, Learning Opportunities on December 13, 2010|

Now at Classes Near You > California:

University of California, Riverside
UCR Extension

Botanical Illustration of Native Desert Flora (Art X454.5)
April 8-10, 2011; Friday (8 PM – 10 PM), Saturday (8 AM – 5 PM), Sunday (8 AM – 4 PM). Learn illustration techniques that will help you understand the form, function, and identification of California’s desert flora. Students will work in graphite, pen, and watercolor. This field study class will be held at the Desert Studies Center at Soda Springs (aka Zzyzx). Cost: $325. Register Here

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Drawing Plants at a Theoretical & Practical Level

Posted in botany, Learning Opportunities on December 13, 2010|

New Course at Classes Near You > England:

Lewis Hamart House, London
www.lewishamarthouse.co.uk
The Lewis Hamart House once served as the central library of Deptford. Designed by architect Sir Alfred Brumwell Thomas (1868-1948) and funded by Andrew Carnegie (1835-1919), this former library is now features a public gallery and studio space for professional artists. Artist studios are open to the public once per year. Exhibitions in the gallery are open to the public year-round, free of charge.

From Plant Life…An Introduction to Botanical Illustration

here

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Botanical Art History, Garden Treasures at UC Berkeley

Posted in botanical art, general botany, Learning Opportunities on December 6, 2010|

The University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley announces an updated course schedule at Classes Near You > California.

University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley
http://botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu/
This 34-acre garden was established in 1890 and is now a non-profit research garden and museum. The botanical art classes below are taught by Lee McCaffree and Catherine Watters . Download a detailed schedule for October 2010 – January 2011 here.

Garden Strollers: Tours for Parents with Young Children
Wednesday, December 8, 2010; 2:30 pm – 3:15 pm. A 45-minute tour of the garden for adults with young children (3 and under). Tour will end on the lawn for play and snacks (bring your own). Children must be in a stroller or carrier during the tour. FREE with garden admission. Meet in front of the Garden Shop. For more information, call (510) 642-7082 or email garden@berkeley.edu.
Winter Botanicals as Paintings – Friday and Saturday,
December 10 & 11, 2010; 10 am-4 pm each day. We invite you to participate in our Fall series of classes in botanical illustration with the talented instructor Lee McCaffree. Take a break from the busyness of the holidays to explore the colors of winter through the painting of botanical subjects. Berries, evergreens, cones and dried plants are exciting subjects from the Garden. Use paint or colored pencils to capture the beauty in a painting of your own. Each student will work at his/her own level. A materials list will be posted on the website. Cost: $160 non-members, $150 members. Register for two or more classes and receive $10 off each.
Conifers and Caryota, A Few of My Favorite Things – Thursday, December 16, 2010; 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm. See plants you’ve never noticed before! Chris Carmichael, the Garden’s Associate Director of Collections and Horticulture, will lead a unique tour through the Garden. Get an insider’s look at the Garden’s often unnoticed treasures.
Cost: $10 (free for members)
2nd Annual Plants Illustrated Exhibition – Saturday, January 8, 2011- Thursday, January 27, 2011. Display of botanical artwork sponsored by the Northern California Association of Botanical Artists. Free with garden admission.
Botanical Garden Docent Training – January 10 – April 18, 2011; Mondays & Thursdays from 1 – 4 pm. Teach school children and the general public about plants and the natural environment. Training is provided by horticultural staff, experienced docents, plant specialists at UC Berkeley and plant specialists from the surrounding community. There are 24 training sessions. Cost: $250. For more information and to apply, contact the Volunteer Coordinator at (510) 643-1924 or email perry@berkeley.edu.
Botanical Art Through the Ages – Thursday, January 20, 2011;
2:00 pm – 3:30 pm. Botanical artist Catherine Watters will present a collection of prints, slides, and other media highlighting the work of Pierre-Joseph Redouté and Maria Sibylla Merian. Her presentation about the history of botanical art will also touch on Tulipmania and the Age of Exploration. FREE with garden admission.
Introduction to Botanical Art – Saturday and Sunday, February 12 & 13, 2011; 10 am – 4 pm each day. We invite you to participate in our Fall series of classes in botanical illustration with the talented instructor Catherine Watters. This two-day class will teach you to observe, measure and draw plants in great detail with botanical accuracy. Work with graphite, colored pencils and watercolor. A materials list will be posted on the website.Cost: $160 non-members, $150 members. Register for two or more classes and receive $10 off each.

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Botanical Drawing Classes at the University of Michigan Announced

Posted in botanical art, drawing, Learning Opportunities on December 6, 2010|

Now at Classes Near You > Michigan and Classes Near You > Ohio:

Deborah Kopka, DK Designs
www.dkdesigns.org
Botanical illustrator, Deborah Kopka is the principal artist at DK Designs. Deborah licenses her artwork, creates illustrations for publishers, and teaches botanical art classes through her design studio. Unless otherwise specified, all workshops are taught at Edgerton Art in Perrysbury, OH.

Botanical Drawing I: Graphite – Saturdays, January 22, 29 and February 5, 12, 19, 26, 2011; 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM. Learn how to create botanical drawings in graphite. Learn how to apply illustration techniques used by scientific illustrators and how to create graceful compositions. Location: University of Michigan Matthaei Botanical Gardens. Register Here
Botanical Drawing II: Colored Pencil – Saturdays, March 12, 19, 26 and April 2, 9, 16, 2011; 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM. Create beautiful botanical drawings with colored pencils. Students will work from live plant specimens and practice techniques used by colored pencil artists. Location: University of Michigan Matthaei Botanical Gardens. Register Here
Botanical Drawing II: Colored Pencil – Mondays, January 10, 17, 24, 31; February 7, 14, 21, 28, and March 7, 14, 2011; 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM. This 10-week class concludes with a three-week project. Students select their own project. Location: Edgerton Art, 26963 Eckel Road, Ste 301-A, Perrysburgh, Ohio. Phone: (419) 290-OILS (6459). Email: edgerton.art@att.net
Private Lessons – Receive personalized attention in a customized learning environment. Request Information
Schedule a Workshop for Your Organization! Request Information

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Forest Connections: Gymnosperms of the United States & Canada

Posted in ArtPlantae Books, Education, general botany, Special Announcements, Special Articles & Interviews, Special Events on December 1, 2010|

What is a gymnosperm?

The word gymnosperm literally means “naked seed” (gymno=naked, sperm=seed). Gymnosperms have their seeds exposed unlike flowering plants, the angiosperms, which have their seeds enclosed in an ovary (i.e., fruit). The word angiosperm derives its meaning from angio=vessel, sperm=seed.

Pine trees are the most often cited example of a gymnosperm. But what about the other gymnosperms? How do we know when we see one? Do all gymnosperms have cones?

These questions and many others are answered in Gymnosperms of the United States & Canada. This user-friendly reference was written by Dr. Elray S. Nixon and illustrated by Bruce Lyndon Cunningham.

Lavishly illustrated, this guide is a welcome balance of botanical terminology and descriptive illustrations. Dr. Nixon’s jargon-free text is supported by Bruce’s informative illustrations. Dr. Nixon begins his book explaining what gymnosperms are and where they can be found. He then provides clear instruction on how to use identification keys and teaches readers how to begin thinking about cones, leaves, and bark — the three characteristics which are the focus of this book. Dr. Nixon focuses on these characters because they are observable throughout the year.

If you have used identification keys before, you are all too familiar with how easy it is to make a wrong turn while working through a dichotomous key. Fortunately in Gymnosperms of the United States & Canada, the likelihood of you going astray has been minimized by Bruce’s illustrations. If you ever doubt your progress working through any of the keys, all you need to do is refer to one of the 115 botanical plates Bruce created. Each plate includes a sketch of a mature plant and illustrations of leaves, cones, arils, seeds, and bark. A range map showing the distribution of each species is also included.

Dr. Nixon and Bruce describe 115 species of gymnosperms growing in coniferous gymnosperm forests, gymnosperm foothill (pinyon-juniper) forests, and gymnosperm (Ephedra) shrubland. The divisions, families and genera featured in this book are:

DIVISION: Cycadophyta: Family: Zamiazeae (Sago Palm Family); Genus: Zamia
DIVISION: Ginkophyta: Family: Ginkoaceae (Maidenhair Tree or Ginkgo Family); Genus: Ginkgo
DIVISION: Gnetophyta: Family: Ephedraceae (Ephedra Family); Genus: Ephedra
DIVISION: Pinophyta: Family: Taxaceae (Yew Family); Genus: Taxus; Genus: Torreya; Family: Pinaceae (Pine Family); Genus: Pinus; Genus: Larix; Genus: Picea; Genus: Tsuga; Genus: Abies; Genus: Pseudotsuga; Family: Cupressaceae (Redwood or Cypress Family); Genus: Taxodium; Genus: Sequoia; Genus: Sequoiadendron; Genus: Juniperus; Genus: Callistris; Genus: Cupressus; Genus: Chamaecyparis; Genus: Thuja; Genus: Calocedrus

Abundant illustrations, easy-to-follow keys, and clear descriptive text make this guide a great resource to use when learning about the gymnosperms in your area. This guide also serves as a gentle introduction to dichotomous keys. If you have avoided plant keys because of the botanical terminology they contain, you might want to try the keys in this book. Dr. Nixon provides concise definitions to the botanical terms you need to know and Bruce provides an illustration for each term. This all-inclusive resource is sure to be a welcome companion on your next trip to your local forest or national park.

Learn How Bruce Creates Illustrations for Field Guides
Join us for Ask The Artist with Bruce Lyndon Cunningham on Monday December 13, 2010 from 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM (PST). Bruce has illustrated many field guides and during this live online event, he will discuss how he worked with Dr. Nixon to create the illustrations for this new book. This event is FREE. To join in on this conversation, register here. Event Closed

Gymnosperms of the United States & Canada can be purchased at www.forester-artist.com.